Grandmother's Choice

I had a wonderful morning working on blocks for Barbara Brackman's Grandmother's Choice BOW.

Block 22 Jack's Delight

 Michael looked after Mom so I could have some "me" time taking a few stitches

Block 20 Memory Wreath

Block 3 Union Square

Block 1. Grandmother's Choice

The first block I made when the project began in September. 

My digital camera card failed this afternoon so I ended up scanning the blocks which are not as good as a photo and took forever to download. We get so accustomed to technology, frustrated when it doesn't work and then wonder how we ever got on without it. Update: replaced the scanned images with new photos taken today with a different card.

Mom is a handful, much like having a toddler around the house except in an adult body.

Thanks for hanging in with me. I do check in often to see your wonderful projects. Aunt Reen's group is finishing their Dear Jane's, in just a year!!! following her 13 months of Jane WOW! Lori posted a wonderful quilt a long, Abundance that allot of you did and Temecula Quilt Co started a 5 week quilt project on Friday that looks like a fun and fast little quilt. Enjoy the weekend!

Spring Blooms

It's Spring... but only in my sewing room. Rain rain rain for the second day. The garden is loving it and I've been busy making this class sample...

...for a paper piecing workshop at Cathy's the end of April. I love paper piecing and it's such a nice way to use up scraps. First learned to PP from Carol Doak on Simply Quilts with Alex Anderson.

These are from Anja Townrow's book called Dutch Flower Pot Quilts. I have her permission to use these two patterns for my class. They are both from her 2001 book which is still available. Published by AQS. Anja lives in Holland :0)
 

Here is a close up of the quilting. I had fun with that yesterday. Used a variegated Jeans weight thread for the stitches on the flower pot. Then Superior thread's King Tut for the remaining machine quilting including the feathers. 

This will be a fun class. Already have a few signed up. Saturday April 28th at Cathy's Sew and Vac. Click on the link for more details. TIA

Missed Design Wall Monday as my wall was empty except for the Blessing Baskets top that I finished over the weekend.

This is a great little QAL by Temecula Quilt Co. It's the perfect colors for my sewing room and I plan to make another small one with the original layout of five baskets to hang on the wall. This one will top an antique dresser.

I guess today could be WOW ~ WIPs on Wednesday :0) Another busy week with more rain on the way. Quilting 101 class coming up on Thursday.
Wishing a WOW to everyone today and a wonderful week. 

Design Wall Monday 4.2.2012

Finishing up this little QAL by Temecula Quilt Co called Blessing Baskets...

Original design is for five baskets. I made three more. One was by accident because I rotated the four patch in one of the baskets. Instead of unsewing I made a new one. (The two baskets in the center.) Then decided to use my goof basket, came up with two more variations, rotated the basket blocks and added two more setting triangles. Turned this little guy into a rectangle instead of a square :0) Adding a small border with the fabric folded off to the right which will probably be the binding as well.

Used up some of my Civil War fabrics and will have a little quilt for a table.

This was a fun little project. Temecula Quilt Co has great little QALs from time to time. You may have seen or made the Twelve Days of Christmas last year. They also organized a good cause, taking donations that will buy sewing machines thru World Vision to help women make a living and support their families. Check out their blog.

Just Takes Two posted a new unit yesterday. One of the blocks is a BIG appliqué project. Pulled out my #10 UFO for April. Another BOM that I thought I had all of the blocks done... not the case! Sew I've got lots to do for the month of April.

Hop over to Patchwork Times to see other folks' design wall projects.

This week I will share more pics of Gail's antique quilts... Have a great week!

March UFO finish

Finished the binding this evening on my March UFO 

for Judy's 2012 UFO Challenge at Patchwork Times

Simple Scrappy Pleasures ~ 40 x 44

Quilt #8 ~ This little quilt started out as a 2002 BOM from Claudia's Quilt Shoppe. The pattern is still available! Made with throw away scraps from a company where I worked as a seamstress in the 1980s, most of the fabrics are vintage calico. The backing is also vintage, a larger piece I purchased at that time.

I did add a yellow fabric that was probably from the later 90s and the solid navy blue binding is new. There wasn't enough of the navy blue fabrics for the binding and I felt it needed to be dark. Looking at it now, I am sorry I added that yellow in 2002. It would have been good that all the fabrics were from the same time era.

The borders are quilted with spools of thread, the inner border is quilted with small baskets (hard to see blue on blue) and I used a feathered meander in the center. Added a sleeve so I can hang this one along with Connected Friends. Happy with a finish and one more quilt rescued from the closet :0)

Next up is UFO # 10 ~ Another BOM called Galactic Twinkle. Poke here to go to Judy's Patchwork Times to see what other quilters have completed for March.

This morning was the first session of a quilt class I teach at Cathy's Sew and Vac. The quilt, Black White and Red All Around is designed by Kathie Holland. Here are the fabrics I pulled to make the quilt along with the class:

Gail is making hers in browns and tans, Kathy in blues and creams and Kathy T is doing black, white and red. Thank you Kathie for your permission. Everyone loves your quilt design!

Temecula Quilt Co posted the last Blessings Basket block and tomorrow will post the final part to finish the QAL. Looking forward to then...

Design Wall Monday 3.26.12

Up on my wall this morning is a little QAL by Temecula Quilt Co.

Celebrating their five year anniversary they started this QAL the beginning of March called Blessing Baskets. One more block to go and then setting blocks. 

These basket blocks are 4 inch finished

This was a fun little project to pick up over the weekend to satisfy my desire to start a new project :0) Finished size to be 18" x 18". I picked some fabrics from my stash after being inspired by Aunt Reen and an appliqué project, Evening Blooms she is starting with turkey reds, blacks, browns with a cream. Yummy!

A cold rainy weekend, we need the rain and the garden is loving it. Nice quiet quilty weekend started off with a nice surprise on Friday evening. From a CL ad, Michael and I checked out a quilt for sale, we met Jerry. I promise to post a picture soon, it's a large quilt, handmade Double Wedding Ring made by Jerry's family. His grandmother hand pieced the top and then it was hand quilted by other family members, mother, sister and cousins. The scalloped binding is done by machine. As cool as the quilt is, meeting Jerry was the nice surprise.

It didn't take long to discover that Jerry was all about the Blues. My all time fav, SRV was represented in his collection as well as decor. Clapton, Mayall, Bloomfield as well as the originals. On the wall was a photo of Buddy Guy, he had an original play list written by SRV and lots more. It was amazing. Quite the collection of CDs and DVDs. He is a wealth of Blues knowledge. Rekindled my love for the Blues as I thumbed thru my collection, searching for recordings that Jerry didn't already posses. He gave me a recording of Mike Bloomfield and Johnny Winters which I thoroughly enjoyed while working on my Blessing Basket blocks on Sunday afternoon.

All sorts of blessings in life and you never know where they will take you :0)